Ashlee Simpson & Pete Wentz on 'Dog Whisperer'

Prior to welcoming their baby son Bronx in November, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz sought famed "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan's help with the obedience training of their first "child" -- feisty English bulldog Hemingway, who has appeared on magazine covers, in music videos with his owner and even participated in Pete and Ashlee's wedding!

Concerned with three-year-old Hemingway's increasingly aggressive etiquette, the then-expecting parents recruited Cesar.

"I find myself avoiding other dogs. I avoid going to dog parks," Pete says.

"The first time I noticed Hemingway had some issues was whenever I would see him around other dogs, he would be aggressive," Ashlee says. "We [were] about to have a baby, so it [was] a big concern."

First the "Dog Whisperer" taught the couple how to properly hold Hemingway's leash for walks and how to use the treadmill with both Hemingway and their five-month-old bulldog, Rigby.

"Dogs don't care how rich or famous you are; they only know who's the leader and who's the follower," Cesar says. "My job was to teach Pete and Ashlee how to take the leadership role before their baby came into the picture."

"The thing I liked is that Cesar related [the training] to family and it was a metaphor for something larger in your life," Pete says.

Did he change Hemingway’s attitude? Find out on “Dog Whisperer,” premiering Sunday, Dec. 28 on the National Geographic Channel. The special episode kicks off National Geographic Channel's "Dog Whisperer" Week, which runs through Friday, January 2.

Published 12/17/08 by the Insider

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